Introduction[]
(In the kitchen, Jane and Arthur put down grocery bags when D.W. runs in.)
D.W.: Mom, I hope you got me the red freezy-pops, ‘cause I only like the red ones.
Arthur: Orange and purple are good, too.
D.W.: Ah, but red tastes better.
Jane: Help me put away the groceries, then you can have a red freezy-pop.
(Jane hands D.W. a frozen fish. She drops it in disgust.)
D.W.: Euch, gross!! It's looking at me! You're not gonna feed us a dead fish, are you?!
Jane: You've eaten fish before.
D.W.: Well, it's never looked at me before!
Arthur: (singsong:) D.W.'s scared of a fishy!
D.W.: I am not scared!! Fish smells funny, and I hate food that smells funny! (Jane hands her a jar of olives.) Are these green eyeballs?!
Arthur: No, they're olives. And they're not looking at you.
(D.W. climbs on a chair and looks into the grocery bag. She pulls out cucumbers and tomatoes which she thinks are yucky.)
D.W.: Cucumbers: yucky! Tomatoes: yucky!
(D.W. pulls out jars of peanut butter and jelly, which she really likes. She also pulls out a bag of white bread, but doesn't like the crusts.)
D.W.: Mmm, peanut butter... and jelly-- yummy! Mmm, white bread... ew, yucky crusts!
Arthur: My sister, D.W., is what you might call a picky eater.
(D.W pulls out spinach, which she absolutely hates.)
D.W.: Yuck, spinach!! I hate spinach! Spinach is the worstest, most disgustingest food in the universe!!
Title Card: D.W., the Picky Eater[]
(The Reads sit at the dinner table waiting for the food. D.W. is naming all of the foods that she doesn't like.)
D.W.: ...and stinky cheese. I never realized how many yucky foods there are, like tapioca and lima beans, and, uh... did I mention spinach?
Arthur: Yes.
(David puts food on the table that features shrimps and pineapple slices.)
D.W.: And this!! Euchh!
David: D.W., you don't even know what it is. How can you say you don't like it?
D.W.: Okay, what is it?
David: Hawaiian Shrimp. It's a new recipe.
Jane: Mm. Yum.
(Kate stirs her shrimps.)
Kate: Mmm.
D.W.: It's part of the smelly fish family and I don't like the smelly fish family!
(She pushes her plate away.)
Arthur: (sighs) Face it! You don't like eating anything!
D.W.: I do, too! I like peanut butter and jelly and strawberries and chocolate, but not with the nuts in it, and birthday cake, and chocolate ice-cream, and uh... um...
(Arthur rolls his eyes.)
***
(The Reads sit in a restaurant. The waiter brings David a steak, Jane soup, Arthur chicken and D.W. salad.)
David: Mmm, looks good.
(D.W. licks her lips, then she examines her salad and takes out things she does not like.)
D.W.: Cucumbers: yucky. Mushrooms: yucky. Onions: yucky and smelly... Hey, this isn't lettuce! What kind of a salad is this?
Arthur: (nervously): Uh-oh, she's gonna pop.
D.W.: (disgusted): This is spinach!
Waiter: Is something the matter?
D.W.: This is spinach, (yelling angrily): and I... HATE... SPINACH!!!!!
People: (gasp)
(D.W. bangs her fist on the plate. The bowl of salad flies in the air and lands on the waiter’s head and a few people start to laugh at him.)
D.W.: (nervously): Uh-oh...
Waiter: (furiously): That's it! I quit!
(He leaves in a huff.)
Jane: (intense rage, quietly): Dora Winifred Read!
(D.W. looks down in sorrow, and hangs her head in disgrace.)
***
(Later, the Reads return home (after possibly being kicked out of the restaurant) where Grandma Thora is holding Kate.)
Grandma Thora: Back so soon? Did you have a good time?
Arthur: (excitedly): D.W. punched her salad, and it exploded...! His parents look angry and upset. (nervously): ...All over the waiter and... everyone was staring at us.
D.W.: (annoyed): They were not! Everybody's making this into such a big deal!
Jane: (furiously): No more restaurants for you, young lady, until you can behave and learn to eat what's placed in front of you! Now, go to your room!
(D.W. walks up the stairs.)
Arthur: What about Grandma Thora's birthday at the Once Upon a Restaurant next week?
Jane: D.W. will not be joining us.
Arthur: Wow, too bad.
(He walks around a corner where Pal waits and immediately brightens up.)
Arthur: (sighs) Dinner without D.W. I guess we'll just have to suffer through it without her.
Grandma Thora: If D.W. can't come to the restaurant, I'd be just as happy coming over here for dinner.
Arthur: What?! And miss Once Upon a Restaurant?!
Grandma Thora: It just wouldn't be a happy birthday if D.W. wasn't there!
Arthur: But that's the best restaurant ever!! This isn't fair! Am I supposed to do everything with D.W.?!
(In his fantasy, he walks up to a rocket that is about to take off. Journalists are taking photos.)
Announcer (on loudspeakers): One minute until blast off. 57.. 56... 55... 54... 53...
Journalist: Captain Read, how does it feel to be the first astronaut to go to Jupiter?
Arthur: I've been preparing for this trip for 20 years, and I'm very excited.
(A man in a lab coat runs up to Arthur.)
NASA Scientist: Captain Read, where's your sister, D.W.? Isn't she going with you?
Arthur: Of course not. Why would she be going into space with me?
(The man takes out a cell phone.)
NASA Scientist: Number 345, D.W.'s not with him. She's not going to be going up to space. D.W. is not...
(The head of mission control sadly hangs up the phone.)
Head of Mission Control: Scrub it!
(“Mission Cancelled” appears on all mission control monitors.)
At the rocket, the journalists walk away.
Announcer (on loudspeakers): There's been a mistake! This mission is being canceled!
Arthur: What's going on? But why?
NASA Scientist: You know the rules! You don't get to do anything without your sister!
Arthur: NOOOOO!!!!
(The fantasy ends.)
***
(Arthur circles the 18th on a calendar in the dining room. Pal sits next to him.)
Arthur: Only 6 days before Grandma Thora's birthday, Pal. That doesn't give us much time. (sighs) If only D.W. knew what she was missing. (Pal whimpers.) That's it!
***
(Arthur pushes his bike past D.W. who is sitting on the swingset.)
Arthur: Hey D.W., wanna ride bikes with me?
D.W.: Sure! I'll get my... Hey, wait a minute! What are you trying to pull here?
Arthur: Nothing.
***
(Arthur and D.W. stop their bikes near the Once Upon a Restaurant, which looks like a fairy tale castle.)
Arthur: It's the Once Upon a Restaurant! Let's stop and take a look. Look, D.W., there's a princess!
(They look into a window.)
D.W.: A princess?! Where?! Where?!
Arthur: And is that a unicorn?
D.W.: Unicorn...
Arthur: Wouldn't you like to see the unicorn up close on Saturday at Grandma Thora's birthday party?
D.W.: Yes!
Arthur: Really?
D.W.: Sure, but how are we gonna get it to our house?
***
(Arthur, Buster, Muffy and Francine eat at the Sugar Bowl. Buster eats French fries dipped in his ice-cream.)
Francine and Muffy: (groan in disgust)
Arthur: It's no use! D.W. just won't try eating anything new. I'll never get to go to the Once Upon a Restaurant!
Francine: My cousin's friend said they have boats that take you right to your... Muffy kicks Francine under the table. Ow! Hey! why'd you...!? Oh! I mean, you're probably not missing that much.
Arthur: I just have to figure out some way to get her to eat what's in front of her, and I only have five days left before Grandma Thora's birthday.
Buster: Hey, why don't you just trick her?
Arthur: Hey!
***
(Later, Arthur and Buster sit in the treehouse while D.W. climbs up.)
Arthur: Boy, Buster, that sure is the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I've ever tasted!
Buster: But oh look, I've made too many.
(D.W looks up, and when they mention peanut butter and jelly, she smiles.)
D.W.: What are you doing? Hey, I'll take one!
Arthur: Well, I don't know, D.W., you don't like anything and mom didn't make them. Buster did.
Buster: Oh, let her have one.
(D.W. starts eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and she seems to really enjoy it.)
Buster: You were wrong, Arthur. She loves it! There's nothing that perks up a PBJ sandwich like... spinach.
(D.W. stops mid-chew with a gulp. She looks horrified and disgusted, then, cheeks bulging, she clamps a hand over her mouth, leans over and pukes over the edge of the treehouse.)
***
(The next day, Arthur stands in a school corridor with Buster, Francine and Muffy.)
Francine: What's wrong, Arthur? You look worried.
Arthur: I'm running out of time, only three days left.
Muffy: D.W. just has to see someone she admires eating spinach. Trust me, that's how our butler got our dog to try a new brand of dog food.
Arthur: It just might work. But, who does she admire?
(Buster looks at Francine, who looks at Muffy, who smiles.)
***
(Bailey serves Muffy a plate of spinach in the Crosswires’ dining room. Arthur and D.W. watch.)
Muffy: Thank you, Bailey. You know, spinach is my favorite food in the whole wide world! And sometimes I just get a craving for it.
(Muffy slowly lifts a forkful of spinach to her mouth. Just as she is about to eat it, a fly lands on the fork.)
Muffy: (gasps) AHH!!!!
(D.W. crosses her arms and smiles triumphantly.)
Arthur: Aw...
***
(Arthur and Francine play on the jungle gym while Buster and Muffy watch.)
Francine: Seeing as you only have two days left until your grandmother's birthday, it's time you called in an expert.
Arthur: You have an expert?
Francine: Me.
***
(In the Read house, Francine feeds Kate spinach while Arthur watches.)
Francine: (while Baby Kate giggles) Baby Kate is such a big girl. She loves her spinach, yes she does, don't you Katie Watie?
(D.W. runs into the room.)
D.W.: Kate, stop!! It's a trick!! Don't eat it!!
Arthur: No, no, no! Kate is a big girl, not like some sisters who throw their food and have tantrums like a baby.
D.W.: I'm not a baby!!
Arthur: Are too!!
D.W.: Am not!!
Arthur: Are too!!
Francine: Quiet!! If you're not a baby, prove it!
(Francine holds out a spoonful of spinach which D.W. reluctantly takes. Just as she is about to eat it, she notices that Kate has put more spinach on her face than in her mouth.)
Kate: (coos)
D.W.: Well, it looks like I'm not the only one with good taste around here.
(She puts down her spoon, spraying some spinach on Arthur, and leaves.)
Arthur: Aw...
***
(Arthur and Buster ride their bikes.)
Buster: Well, it looks like you're gonna miss the boat, you've tried everything.
Arthur: Hey! He stops. Everything but Plan X.
He turns around.
Buster: Oh no, not Plan X! What's Plan X?!
***
(Arthur stages a phone conversation at home with D.W. listening.)
Arthur: Oh, Grandma! I'm so glad you changed your mind. I can't believe we're going to the restaurant after all.
D.W.: Hey, what are you telling Grandma?
Arthur: Nothing, D.W., leave me alone! What's that Grandma? Oh yes, I think it'll be just as much fun without her.
D.W.: Without who?! Let me talk to her!
(She tries to take the phone.)
Arthur: D.W., isn't there some dancing vegetable on T.V.?
D.W.: Give me the phone!! I can go wherever I want!!
Arthur: But you said you didn't want to go to restaurants, remember? And this one might have spinach. And...
(He holds the phone out of D.W.’s reach.)
D.W.: Grandma, I'm coming to your party, and I'm gonna be lots of fun!! Ha, so there! You're not the boss of me, Arthur Read!
Arthur: Well Grandma, I guess there's nothing I can do. We’re just going to have to take D.W.'s with us.
D.W.: That's right. Mom, Dad! I wanna go to the restaurant! I'll try new food and eat it all!!
(She runs to find her parents.)
Arthur: It worked, thanks!
(Buster is at the other end, impersonating Grandma Thora.)
Buster: Glad I could help you, sonny!
***
(On the evening of Grandma Thora’s birthday, the Reads walk into Once Upon a Restaurant.)
Arthur: Wow, this is gonna be great!
D.W.: Maybe we'll see the princess!
(They get into a swan-shaped boat which takes them along a canal through the restaurant. A mechatronic dragon lights the candle on a boy’s birthday cake. A unicorn pulls a cake trolley. The Reads pass under a bridge and stop. The kids run out of the boat.)
Arthur: This place is excellent!
D.W.: Look, there's the princess!
(A waitress dressed as a young princess passes by. The Reads find a table on a sailing ship. A waitress dressed as Red Riding Hood brings them the menu.)
Red Riding Hood Waitress: Your waiter will be appearing in a moment to take your order.
D.W.: I hope they have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, without spinach.
Jane: I thought you were gonna try something new and eat it all.
D.W.: Oh yeah.
***
(After a while, the Reads are served by waiters dressed as the 3 bears and a genie.)
Genie Waiter: Your wishes have been granted, effendis. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum lobsters for two, Wicked Witch Weenies for the young sultan, and for the princess, Little Bo Peep Pot Pie.
(Everyone stares nervously at D.W., ready to take her first bite.)
D.W.: Hm... Okay. She tries a bite. Hey. This is delicious!
Waiter: (relieved sigh)
David: Great.
***
(After a while, D.W. finishes her pie.)
D.W.: I love this Little Bo Peep Pot Pie! It's so good, I'd eat it every day if you made it for me at home.
David: Excuse me, is it possible to get the recipe for the Little Bo Peep Pot Pie?
Waiter: It's very easy to make. You take a pie pastry and fill it up with lots and lots of... spinach.
(He leaves while the family stares worriedly at D.W.)
D.W.: Why is everyone looking at me? I love spinach! Everybody knows that.
(Arthur rolls his eyes as D.W. sits back and smiles.)